Why is it that 80% of leaders claim to spend 60% of their time in teams, yet only 20% of teams are high performing, collaborative teams?
My fascination and preoccupation with this paradox led me to write my latest book - Team Better Together.
There are three main explanations for the 80:60:20 paradox:
Relationships precede results – for teams to improve results, they first need to better relate. Teams rise and fall based on the quality of their working relationships.
Groups are not teams – as John Kotter said. “In every team there is a group but not every group is a team.” A group is a collection of individuals who work independently to achieve their own objectives. Teams work interdependency to achieve something no group nor individual can.
Collective performance goals – teams exist to achieve what no other entity can. Teams hold themselves individually and collectively accountable to achieve the team’s collective performance goals, only achievable working interdependently.
The 80:60:20 paradox need not be the team’s destiny. To be a high performing, collaborative team requires discipline.